Past and Present Appliance Innovations

Past and Present Appliance Innovations

Two Old Appliance Innovations

And Their New Variations

Some of you might have been around when the microwave oven was thought to be a fad. And many of us remember when convection cooking was only available on expensive luxury ovens. We briefly look at these categories below and how they are evolving today. See them all at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center (UAKC).

1. Microwave ovens.

Although the first microwave ovens date back to the 1950's, it wasn't until the late '70s that they became commonplace. Today, microwave ovens are considered a standard appliance in homes across America. While we could still debate some of the pros and cons of microwave cooking, the vote is in and microwave ovens will continue to be offered by the full line major appliance brands for the forseeable future.

Microwave oven drawers.

Dacor Microwave Drawer

A valuable design alternative to the microwave hood (which some consider ergonomically unsound), the microwave drawer adds additional opportunities for the placement of a microwave. Under the counter, the microwave drawer is easily accessible and already has become commonplace in universal design schemes. There are a large selection of brands with microwave drawer options. Sharp is a leader in the category, but Dacor, Jenn-Air, Thermador, and Viking are just a few of the other brands avaialble.

2. Convection ovens.

This is a product that has been around for a long time and has gradually become a popular cooking method. Cooking with convection has been proven to save time and cook more evenly. Convection is now widely available in nearly all cooking brands and is configured in ovens, ranges, and even convection microwave ovens. Frigidaire, GE, and Whirlpool have wide selections of convection ranges and wall ovens at popular price points. Premium convection ranges and ovens are available from Maytag, Kitchenaid, Frigidaire Gallery, Bosch, and GE Profile.

Steam convection oven

Wolf Steam Convection Oven

Steam convection ovens are now available from just about all the luxury and super premium brands and may soon be moving into the premium brands. Adding the benefits of steam to a convection oven is very appealing. At this point, it's too early to predict that they'll become as widespread as microwaves. The price will have to come down a lot for steam convection ovens to achieve mass appeal, but for right now steam convection ovens are becoming very popular in super premium and luxury kitchen brands such as Thermador, Jenn-Air, Miele, Viking, and Wolf.